8 Ideas for a Nontraditional Dinner Party

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery held its annual Power Ball on June 4. Presented by luxury brand Max Mara, the evening drew 1,500 guests and had the theme "Appetite for Excess."

“Excess set the stage for an unparalleled experience and for the savoring of the special treats in life," said Gaëtnae Verna, Power Plant director. "It suggests performances at new levels of excellence, lavish food, indulgent music, people you are dying to meet, and much more.” For planners, it was crucial to offer V.I.P. guests, who bought in at the $500 ticket level, an experience that was beyond what Verna called "a regular private cocktail or dinner event." Instead, guests got to experience a performance from groundbreaking food artist Jennifer Rubell and sample snacks and treats from local chef partners including Grant Van Gameren of Bar Isabel and Bar Raval; Sam James of Sam James Coffee Bar; and Bertrand Alépée of the Tempered Chef and the Tempered Room.

At around 9 p.m.—when the V.I.P. reception and the food performance had wrapped—guests explored the museum's galleries, which featured installations from artists 8-Eleven, Karen Kraven, Swintak, and Orest Tataryn. Here's a look inside the highly atypical event.

The menu was inspired by Spanish pinxtos, or bar snacks.

Photo: Henry Chan

The Power Ball did not have a typical bar setup. Instead, bartenders sat in theater chairs, wearing tuxedos and holding bottles that were ready to be poured. There were also staffers throwing potato chips from the rafters, and guests threw back pieces of bread, cheese, and meat. Partygoers could also snip pieces of octopus from a chandelier hanging overhead.

Photo: Henry Chan

Bertrand Alépée of the Tempered Chef spent the entire evening assembling a tower of eclairs. Eventually, the tower climbed as high as the upper balconies, and guests in the high-up spaces could reach out and pluck a treat.

Photo: Henry Chan

Instead of a traditional plated dinner, V.I.P. guests got an entirely different experience: an interactive experience from food artist Jennifer Rubell. Hands appeared through holes in the table, serving guests one morsel at a time.

Photo: Henry Chan

Rubell also performed at the event. Called "So Sorry," her performance was inspired by a phrase commonly used by Canadians—and two words that the artist expected to be used frequently during a night where guests were consuming food in uncomfortable and unfamiliar ways. “Art and food really came together during 'So Sorry,'" said Power Plant director Gaëtnae Verna. "Guests had to move away from their comfort zone and be part of the performance to enjoy dinner. They just had to embrace the unexpected.”

Photo: Henry Chan

At 9 p.m., guests could explore the museum's galleries. One featured a project from the art collective 8-Eleven called "Limo in Hell." The installation was surrounded with smoke.

Photo: Henry Chan

To complement the "Hell" theme of the art installation, the gallery in which it was housed had flames projected onto its walls.

Photo: Henry Chan

Four pits were located just outside the museum, and guests didn't hesitate to jump in.